It’s Nov. 17, 2024, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and freshman guard Mikey Lewis is standing at the free-throw line with a chance to give Saint Mary’s a three-point lead against Nebraska with five seconds left in regulation.
Lewis sank both shots. He also added 23 points that night — cementing his status as the next in a long line of standout Saint Mary’s guards.
“I will forever remember that game,” Lewis said. “It was one of my favorite personal moments of my career.”
For Lewis, shining in such a kairotic moment early on showed him he had what it takes to compete with some of the best in college basketball.
But his story begins long before Sioux Falls, back in Oakland, where a kid fell in love with the game because of his father.
“My dad played basketball for Eastern Washington and overseas, so he put the ball in my hands,” Lewis said.
Before college, Lewis starred with the EYBL powerhouse Oakland Soldiers. In high school, he spent his sophomore and junior seasons at Denver Prep before finishing at Prolific Prep.
By the end of his prep career, he was a four-star recruit according to 247Sports and ranked No. 83 on the ESPN Top 100. Coaches loved his versatility at both guard spots.
Lewis had plenty of offers — Illinois, Ole Miss, Arizona State and Cal among them — but he elected to stay close to home and play for Randy Bennett and the Gaels.
“I really trusted Coach Bennett and all that he’s done,” Lewis said. “I thought it was a good pathway of good guards that I could follow.”
Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills and Jordan Ford had already blazed the trail. Lewis, the Oakland product, wanted to carry that lineage forward.
“One thing about players from Oakland is that they are always dogs,” Lewis said. “Every time I step on the court, I try to think about guys like Jason Kidd and Damian Lillard, and how they compete.”
Trusting Bennett’s plan proved profitable. Paired with veterans Mitchell Saxen, Augustas Marciulionis and Luke Barrett, along with key Arizona transfer Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s put together one of its best seasons in program history.
The Gaels finished 29–6 (17–1 WCC), won the regular-season title and beat Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Lewis enjoyed a strong freshman campaign of his own — averaging 8.2 points and shooting 37.4% from 3 while earning WCC Sixth Man of the Year.
Even with personal success, Lewis is quick to credit his senior mentors.
“Playing against a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in Sax [Mitchell Saxen] made me a lot better,” Lewis said. “And two-time Player of the Year Augustas beat me down pretty good every day in practice — that was my intro to college basketball.”
Flash forward to this season, and with the exception of Murauskas, all those veterans are gone. Lewis had to take a major step forward over the offseason.
“I worked really hard to become a really good three-level scorer this year and finish better around the basket,” he said. “I also focused on getting better at playmaking.”
His offseason focus has silenced any talk of a sophomore slump. Lewis is currently among the nation’s most efficient shooters and is averaging 16.8 points, 3.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds.
More importantly, the Gaels are 9–1 and appear well on their way to a fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth.
“I’ve been feeling pretty good just adjusting to being the main option teams are scouting,” Lewis said. “We still have a long way to go, but it feels good to be 9–1.”
Off the court, Lewis likes to wind down with movies — even if some leave him confused.
“I watched Pulp Fiction for the first time on our flight back from Davidson, and I’m still trying to figure it out,” he said.
Lewis may still be sorting out Tarantino’s nonlinear chaos, but on the court, he brings a Jules Winnfield-level presence — confident, intense and unflinching.
And with all the success he’s had so far, his goals for the future are already set.
“I want to be an all-time great here,” Lewis said. “I want to have my name in the rafters and be a part of the deepest run in program history.”